


Hidden

by crowley_you_sinnamon_roll



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 16:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7112725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowley_you_sinnamon_roll/pseuds/crowley_you_sinnamon_roll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A/N: Based off a request (so sorry it took so long to do) and for marksheppardischarming‘s June Writing Challenge on Tumblr! Based off the prompt: Beauty and the Beast</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hidden

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't a one shot. Two or three more parts will probably be added!

The surface of the back road was covered with snow, and the amount continued to grow as a snowstorm swept the area. You tightened your grip on the steering wheel, cursing yourself for not stopping at the motel you saw somewhere back. You just wanted to get away. That’s all you wanted. Your phone rang shrilly, a familiar name flashing on the screen angrily. You snatched the device out of the passenger’s seat and answered, more out of annoyance than want. “I told you to leave me alone, Brady. I’m sick of your bullshit!” You growled, putting more pressure on the accelerator. 

“Come back home, Y/N! Or I’ll bring you home myself!”

You immediately hung up after the threat was made, your head shaking in disbelief at your ex boyfriend’s psychotic behavior. You tossed your phone into the passenger’s seat and focused on getting to the nearest town, wherever that was. Glancing out of the windows, you realized you were literally in the middle of nowhere. After following the back road for another mile, your car suddenly rolled to a stop, snow continuing to fall. “Oh, damn it!” You cursed, slamming your palms against the steering wheel. Could things get any worse?

After a few minutes of mentally scolding yourself, you forced yourself to exit and walk farther down the road, hoping that some beacon of hope would present itself to you. Your leg muscles began to strain themselves as you trudged through the growing amount of snow, your balance throwing itself off and sending you half-crawling and half-stumbling through the cold terrain. Icy wind stung your cheeks, reddening your skin to a burning degree, and you knew that you had to get to shelter soon, or you would freeze. Your eyes squinted as you peered through the trees bordering the lone road, a speck of dark color standing out among the white scenery.

Once you ventured closer to the blur of color, you realized it was a mansion, one that was great in size. It had a lonely vibe, its mass surrounded by a firm steel gate, cutting it off from society. You edged closer to the gate, drawing your jacket around you tighter, anxiety and excitement facing off within you. You couldn’t go back, so the only way was forward. To your surprise, the gate wasn’t sealed with a lock, having been an older gate that wasn’t electronically controlled. The hinges squeaked shrilly as you pushed your way through into the property, immediately feeling a sense of unwelcome. It seemed vacant, and you had a feeling it was supposed to be that way.

“Is she coming?”

“Yes! She’s the girl! The one we’ve been waiting for! She can break the spell!”

“Shh, shh, keep quiet! Don’t rouse the master!”

You happened to glance at one of the windows, eyes brushing over the tattered curtains to see three faces peering out. They were gone in a second. You blinked a few times, convinced you were seeing things, but the gentle sway of the curtains encouraged you to go to the large wooden door. Your hand lifted shakily, weakly knocking on the door, the contact stinging your frozen knuckles. “H-Hello? My car broke down … I just need some help!” You called after a minute of no response.

The door immediately swung open, bright blue eyes peering at you from inside the dark foyer. “Hello, miss. Are you okay?” A timid voice asked, prompting you to feel more relaxed in his presence.

“Yes, I’m fine. My car broke down someway down the road, and I’m stranded,” you told him, trembling on the spot, knuckles white from securing your jacket around your body to the tightest degree without ripping the fabric.

“Well, don’t let her freeze to death, Cas,” another voice broke in, green eyes joining the baby blues. A warm hand reached out to grab yours, immediately pulling you inside the much warmer building. The door swung shut behind you, trapping the cold outside where it belonged.

You breathed a soft thanks, gazing at the dimly lit foyer, candles being the only source of light. You took a step back and instantly gasped, hitting a strong build. “Sorry,” you squeaked, spinning around to meet the third face. More green eyes.

The three figures moved farther into the candlelight’s limit, exposing their appearances to you. They were middle-aged men, all wearing white button-downs, black vests, and black slacks. Uniforms. They were all very well groomed, appearances sharp and not rough.

Green Eyes #2 offered you a comforting smile, sucking away any of your remaining anxiety. “I’m Sam. What’s your name?” He asked, prompting you to respond with gentle eyes.

“Y/N,” you replied slowly, adjusting to the rather grim atmosphere of the mansion. “Who owns this place?” You questioned, inferring it wasn’t any of them.

“Master Crowley,” Blue Eyes immediately coughed up a name, ready to unite the two to get the spell-breaking process in motion.

“Where is he?” You asked, noting his lack of presence. Master Crowley. Someone was highly respected.

“Upstairs. We’ll introduce you, but how about we get you warmed up first?” Green Eyes #1 broke in, gently ushering you to another room where a fire was burning. He sat you in a large chair, your body sinking into the plush cushion. “I’m Dean, by the way. That’s Castiel or Cas for short. If you need anything, call us or Sam. Now, stay put,” he told you after motioning to the others. He rushed off with Sam and Castiel, their hushed voices wisping behind them.

You frowned in confusion, watching them disappear around the corner. Strange. You settled back into the chair, allowing yourself to warm up and attempt to relax for a beat. The fire crackled loudly, being the only sound heard throughout the entire mansion. Why was it so quiet?

Meanwhile, Sam, Dean, and Castiel huddled near a large door, glancing at each other anxiously before knocking, trying to capture the master’s attention.

“What?” A growl sounded from within, the voice low and booming even when spoken at a faint volume.

“Master, there’s a girl here,” Castiel spoke first, lips moving close to the door, making sure Crowley heard each hopeful word. This could be the answer to their problem. 

After a long pause, the door creaked open, golden eyes gazing out curiously. “A girl?” He repeated, ensuring that what he heard was correct.

“Yes, a girl. She’s downstairs. Her car broke down and a storm is raging outside,” Dean answered, fingers absentmindedly twisting the end of his vest.

Crowley thought for a moment, pondering on his options. Having been cursed by an enchantress many years ago, he was running out of time to break the spell thrust upon him. Crowley had been raised in a wealthy family, and everything was given to him, never earned. He was spoiled, selfish, and unkind, and he paid the price for acting that way. He only cared for what was materialistic, what only satisfied his needs, proving the lack of love in his heart. The enchantress gave him a rose, a thing of beauty and love, the things he lacked to understand, and told him that in order to break the curse he had to fall in love with someone and have them fall in love with him before all of the petals fell. On top of that, she stripped him of his handsome appearance and transformed him into a beast, a being of nightmares that sparked no feelings of romance. How in the world was he supposed to have anyone fall in love with him when he couldn’t even stand to look in the mirror? To further encourage him to break the curse, she cursed his servants, his friends, as well, but only made it to where they were stuck in the mansion.  

“I don’t even know what to say or do,” Crowley confessed, retreating into the safety of the shadows that cloaked his room. His eyes flickered towards the glimmering rose in the glass case, its presence mocking his failure so far.

“Invite her to stay the night. She shouldn’t be out in the storm, anyway. She’ll get sick,” Sam told him, attempting to give him the best advice he could think of. Admittedly, Crowley’s game was slightly off after years of loneliness.

“She’s going to see me and run away,” Crowley fretted, his confidence faint. His large form drifted around the room, pacing out of anticipation, his claws raking across the floor. Suddenly, his panicked steps halted, his ears flicking at a nearby sound. Footsteps. “Why is she up here?” Crowley growled, immediately glaring at his staff.

“I-I told her to stay put,” Dean stuttered, eyes widening as his master bore down on him with intensity.

“This area is forbidden! How rude can she be?” Crowley snapped, lumbering quickly towards the door, ready to confront you and put a stop to your exploring.

You had been seated near the fire for quite awhile with no news on what was going to happen. That didn’t sit well with you, and you wouldn’t mind finding a bathroom. The wind had been merciless as it ripped through your hair, destroying any structure to your hairstyle. Your fingers sifted through the messy strands as you wandered upstairs in near darkness, your eyes attempting to make their way around the area to explore. As you neared the top of the stairs, you noticed a shift in the atmosphere, a presence or a movement, catching you off guard and making you stumble on the steps, a gasp leaving your lips as you tilted backwards. Before you could tumble down the flight of steps, a large hand snagged your forearm, yanking you back forward to stand upright on the step.

Heavy gusts of air rolled off your face, heated and forceful. It took you a moment to notice that the hand keeping you from falling didn’t quite feel like a hand. It felt more like a paw, complete with rough pads, tufts of fur, and curved claws. Did you dare lift your eyes?

“What are you doing up here?” The voice was more of a growl, animalistic and raw. Whoever he was, he was pissed that you were up there.

You let your eyes trail up the dark figure, only being able to make out the outline of a very large being that was cloaked in a cape. You found eyes nearly the color of honey, narrowed and hard. “I-I was looking for the bathroom. I’m sorry,” you stuttered, beginning to shake in his grasp.

“Master-” Dean started to come to your defense, his voice incredibly weak as it drifted from his lips.

“Silence! Listen,  _ you _ , this area is forbidden. Do you understand?” Crowley growled at you, intent on protecting the enchanted rose that had made its home within his room.

You were hardly paying attention to what the master was saying, his booming voice fading into the background. You were trying to take in his appearance through the darkness. Were those horns sticking out of his head? Why did he have so much hair on his face? Your hand etched its way to your back pocket where your phone was, fingers dipping inside to grab the corner. You had to see what he looked like. While he continued to scold you for whatever, you turned on your flashlight and pointed upwards, shining a bright ray of light onto his face, revealing what had once been hidden, and what was supposed to stay hidden.

Your heart skipped a beat or two, his animalistic appearance shocking you as he continued to yell at you, his large teeth bared and only a few inches away. Your mind was already weighed with exhaustion and stress, but the sudden fear that gripped you sent you spiraling into unconsciousness, your eyes rolling back as your knees buckled.

“Y/N!” Sam gasped, reaching forward to grab your other arm to keep you from falling off the step. Along with Crowley’s help, he pulled you away from the staircase and laid you on the carpeted floor, his eyes glistening with worry.

“Is she okay?” Castiel asked, peering over Dean’s shoulder as they hovered over you.

“She’s fine. She just … fainted,” Crowley muttered, sadness flashing through his eyes briefly. He had scared you so much that you _ fainted _ . He gazed down at you, eyes glancing over your features with uninhibited admiration. You were stunning to him, something out of a fairytale, but there was no way you would stay with him. No way you would fall in love with him and break the spell. “I’m going to take her to one of the guest rooms. Why don’t you three make her dinner for later?” Crowley told the three, his paws gently slipping beneath your neck and the back of your knees to bring you into his strong arms.

“Great idea. Why don’t you invite her to dinner when she wakes up?” Sam suggested, giving his shoulders a shrug.

“It would do you some good to talk to her. You know, get to know her,” Castiel pitched in as they followed Crowley down the stairs.

“Let her get to know you,” Dean backed up, giving Crowley a suggestive nudge.

“It won’t be that simple. Nothing is ever that simple,” Crowley responded in a sigh, disappearing into one of the large guest rooms. He placed you on the bed, its white sheets curling into your sides, inviting you to sink into the soft mattress. “Now what?”

“We wait. Come on, let’s run over some conversation topics. Your people skills are a bit rusty,” Castiel muttered, leading Crowley out of the room and leaving you in total darkness.

~*~

You had dreamed about a beast, a creature that was the stuff of nightmares. You should’ve been scared, but you felt rather intrigued, curious. You were always so curious. No wonder you got in trouble so much.

You woke with a start, heart pounding and adrenaline shooting through you at an unnatural speed. Hazy eyes traveled the expanse of the room, glancing over old furniture until coming to a window. You pushed yourself from the comfortable bed to stumble over to the window, which was locked and covered with black curtains. You peered through to see that night had fallen, the moon and stars nowhere to be seen. There was only darkness. You backed away, turning towards the door, hoping it wasn’t locked. You had to somehow get to town. Whoever owned this mansion, the beast, probably wanted to hurt you. With a calming deep breath, you tried the knob, eyes widening in surprise as it gave and the door popped open.  

Crowley’s ears flicked, a disruption in the quiet atmosphere capturing his attention. For the past few hours, he had sat in the dining room practicing how to speak without a hint of a growl in his smooth voice. It was proving to be highly difficult. He wasn't upset with you or anyone at all, but he was mainly upset with himself for getting himself into this terrible situation. Why was he so rotten? Why couldn't he behave better?

“She's awake. Master, go to her,” Castiel urged, blue eyes wide and bright as the ball started to roll. Things were going to move quickly, but would things move in the right direction?

“I'm going … I'm going! Just stay here,” Crowley huffed, trying to build up his confidence. Take it slow. No yelling. He exited the dining room a bit quickly, forcing himself to hurry up and meet you so that you didn't walk right out the door. Then again, a storm was raging outside. How far could you actually go?

You wandered through the halls quickly, nervousness increasing your speed. Being in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar faces tended to give you anxiety, and the dark, moody atmosphere the mansion harbored didn't help calm you. You didn't hear his footsteps, but you heard his breathing, deep and heavy. Before you could stop and back pedal, Crowley turned the corner and the two of you were face-to-face, eyes as wide as saucers due to shock. Your lips parted, any sort of noise you wished to exert stuck in your throat.

“Wait! Please, don’t scream,” Crowley sighed, offering his palms, allowing you to see that he meant you no harm despite his beastly appearance.

“I … ah … what’s going on?” You switched your sound of panic for a question, your heart pounding heavily within you, senses heightened.

“My name is Crowley. You’re in my mansion. I was cursed awhile ago and turned into this … this beast. I’m not going to harm you,” Crowley relayed the information in the most comforting tone he could muster. He wanted to shrink back into his cape, but the only way you would overcome your fear of him was to face him.

You took a few beats to process the words muddled within his deep tone, your eyes trailing along his fur-covered form and tattered clothing. “Why were you cursed?” You found yourself asking out of natural curiosity, the tenseness in your shoulders lessening only slightly.

“It’s complicated,” Crowley murmured, trying to verge off of that personal path. Detailing his flaws wasn’t exactly a good conversation starter.

“Yeah, I bet,” you muttered beneath your breath, still rattled by the experience. This was insane. You were in the home of a man turned beast, who claimed he wasn’t going to harm you. “I need to get to town,” you told him, anxious to get somewhere with normal people. Even Sam, Dean, and Castiel seemed a little off.

“You can’t leave!” Crowley immediately exclaimed, his fur rising along his back and shoulders. At your shocked face, he calmed himself, breathing in deeply. “The storm won’t let up for some time. Just stay for now. I had dinner be prepared for you,” Crowley told you, extending a hand out towards the dining room area.

“Listen, that’s nice of you, but I need to keep moving,” you replied, moving past him towards the foyer, your hands tugging your jacket around you tighter as you braced yourself for the cold.

“Don’t go out there!” Crowley warned you as he followed, his much larger feet thudding loudly against the floor.

“You know what? I’m sick of people telling me what to do! Back off!” You snapped at him, more angry at your ex boyfriend than Crowley. You didn’t mean to take your anger out on him, but you needed to leave. Before he could attempt to stop you, you rushed out the front door, the wind gushing heavily against your body, burning your cheeks and grasping at your weak winter apparel. You trudged through the snow as effectively as you could, eyes squinted as you fought to see where you were going. Were you even heading the right way?

“Stubborn girl!” Crowley seethed as he stomped his way through the large mansion, his angry footsteps echoing throughout the lonely space.

“What did you do?” Dean sighed, leading the other two servants into the room.

“What did  _ I  _ do? She ran out into the storm like a crazy person!” Crowley replied defensively, pointing a sharp claw towards the door.

“She went outside? Go after her! She could freeze!” Sam ordered, panic spreading across his face.

The wind was picking up, making the trees sway, nearly toppling over from nature’s reckless force. You started to believe you fleeing the castle was a horrible idea. A blast of wind slung a generous amount of snow into your face, blinding you for the moment and making you stumble wildly to the side. A shocked cry left your lips as the ground sloped, sending you tumbling down at a rapid pace. Before you could catch a breath, you hit the frozen surface of a small lake, your body crashing straight through the ice to be submerged into the freezing waters.

Something was nearly paralyzing about the water, its cold essence locking down your muscles and its icy swirls grasping your clothes, coaxing you down farther into the darkness. You felt your strength dwindle, your chest beginning to ache. Hope, like the surface, continued to slip farther and farther away from your fingertips. Until the ice split open and another body dropped down near yours.

Crowley grabbed onto your arms, his hind legs pushing through the water with incredible strength, bringing you back up to the surface in seconds. He clutched you to his chest, ensuring that the dark waters didn’t pull you back under. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” he murmured, dragging you back onto the ice, his claws skidding and clacking on the slippery surface.

You shivered violently, your hands grasping at his clothes as tightly as you could. Your fingers were so brittle with cold that you thought they would snap if you bent them any farther. You felt a degree of weightlessness as Crowley picked you up, his steps shaky as he fought through the storm to get you back into the mansion where you would be safe and warm. That’s all he focused on, all he fought for in those freezing moments.

“Boys!” Crowley shouted into the wind as he trudged towards the looming front door, white flakes covering the majority of his fur. He pressed you as close to his chest as possible, using his broad shoulders to shield you from the piercing winds.

Castiel threw open the door, wincing as the cold whipped around him. His eyes zoned in on Crowley’s struggling figure and you laying limp in his arms. In a snap, he was at Crowley’s side, guiding him inside by the arm.

“I'll take her. Sam, grab some towels and some blankets!” Dean ordered as he met them at the door. He pulled you into his arms and brought you into the house, his steps brisk as he took you towards the fireplace. “Hey, you with me, Y/N?” Dean asked you as he knelt, placing you on the soft rug in front of the fire. 

You blinked slowly, your vision steadily coming into focus to zone in on green eyes. “M-M-Mhm,” you answered as best as you could, shudders passing rapidly through your body. The warmth of the fire proved to work on you slowly.

Castiel hauled Crowley towards the fire, his teeth clenched as he struggled to hold Crowley’s larger build. “Here we are,” Castiel murmured, helping Crowley lay beside you.

A moment later, Sam rushed into the room, his arms full of warm fabric threatening to slip from his grasp. “I'll make tea,” Sam offered as he unloaded the towels and blankets.

“Good idea, Sammy,” Dean praised softly as he placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. “Look, your clothes are soaking wet. I don't want you to get sick, so they're gonna have to go. Is that okay?”

Crowley growled, shooting Dean a warning glare, daring him to lay a hand on you.

“Crowley, do you want her to live or not?” Dean rounded on him, eyes hard.

Crowley dropped his eyes down to you, taking in your trembling form, the blue-ish tint of your skin. You were suffering. “Fine. Bloody Hell,” Crowley grumbled beneath his breath.

“It-t’s fine,” you told Dean, feeling the cold water rest against your bare skin through your wet clothes. Your shaky fingers began tugging off your jacket, your shirt, your pants, Dean helping by pulling off your boots.

Dean quickly wrapped your body up in a towel, shifting you closer to the fire’s warmth. “There you go. I'm going to go help Sam,” Dean told you before standing and heading towards the kitchen.

Castiel gathered you and Crowley’s soaked clothes before leaving the area, casting his blue eyes over his shoulder briefly to glance at the two lone figures sitting together in front of the fire.

You turned to Crowley, peering at his shivering form through the drenched strands of your hair. “Thank you for saving me. I shouldn't have ran out of the house,” you told him, mentally ridiculing yourself for the genius idea of running out into the storm.

“I'm sorry I scared you. I know my appearance is … shocking,” Crowley murmured, keeping his eyes on the blazing fire, feeling its warmth seep through his thick fur.

You frowned at his words, feeling bad for fainting at the sight of him. “No … you just caught me off guard, and today has been a bit stressful, that's all,” you assured him, brushing your hair away from your face.

“Well, are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, I'm warming up-”

“I meant from what was stressing you out before that,” Crowley clarified.

“I'm …,” you trailed off with a shake of your head, your hands pulling the towel around you to a tighter degree. You didn't want to lie to him. He did save your life. “I'll be fine whenever my ex boyfriend gets off my case. I left him today. Finally left him. Of course, he didn't take it well.”

“Well, if you want to disconnect from him and the world for a few days you're welcome here,” Crowley told you, finally bringing his eyes to yours.

You took a moment to gaze at him, to really look at him. You could see something human within his eyes, a soul of some sort. “Thank you,” you found yourself whispering the words of gratitude, feeling your stress start to slip away. Exhaustion started to set in again, eliciting a yawn from you.

“Let's get you to bed,” Crowley murmured, draping a blanket over his shoulders before standing over you. He grabbed the other blanket and hesitantly wrapped it around you, careful not to scratch your skin with his claws.

You thanked him again quietly before pushing yourself to your feet, your legs nearly giving out. Luckily, he caught you, letting you rest against his side. And just like that, Crowley led you to the guest room, three smiling faces watching from the doorway of the kitchen.


End file.
